A torcherous hunting trip
by Samantha2611
Summary: This is a story about a hunting trip gone terribly wrong (again). Total Merlin WHUMP and friendship. Rated T due to torture.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

 **This is my first ever fic so I really hope you like it. Seeing as Merlin is a relatively old TV show now I was worried no one would read these, but I have been so obsessed about Merlin recently that I couldn't not put this out. I'm on holiday at the moment so these should come out at a relatively fast pace, but I'll be going back to school in a week or so, so after that they might be a bit slower.**

 **Please enjoy and whether you like it or not PLEASE review.**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Merlin or any of the other characters in this fic :(**

'Rise and shine lazy-daisy.' Said Merlin happily throwing open the curtains.

'Erh.' Came the groaned response from beneath the blankets,'Go away Merlin.'

'No way Arthur, busy day ahead of us, we need to be awake and alert.' Merlin quickly left to get Arthur's breakfast as the pillow that Arthur had thrown at him hit the door behind him.

When Merlin got back, breakfast in hand, Arthur was dressed and had a vindictive grin adorning his face. 'Seeing as you did such a good job waking me up this morning Merlin,' started his royal prattiness, his smile growing even wider, 'I've decided to reward you by going on a hunting trip.'

Merlin frowned internally, he absolutely hated hunting and the prince knew that, curse the prat for trying to be clever with his punishments. Nevertheless, Merlin put on a fake smile and refused to let his irritation show to Arthur.

'Of course sire. It's good exercise. We do need to make sure you're working off all this food now don't we?' He looked suggestively at Arthur's breakfast and then at his belt.

'I am not fat you idiot!' Raged Arthur.

'I didn't say you were sire.' Replied Merlin innocently.

'Moron!'

'Clotpole!'

'Imbecile!'

'Dollop-head!'

Merlin, once again, left the room in a hurry as a goblet came hurtling his way.

 **A/n:**

 **So that was the first chapter, I hope you liked it, I've already got the next few planned out so tell me if you liked this.**

 **Please, please, please review. I need to know if this is good or not.**

 **Please.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n:**

 **The plot bunnies are attacking in numbers right now so enjoy it while it lasts, I'm slightly hyper right now so writing speed is sky rocketing, enjoy the products of my over-active imagination.! :P**

'I see the princess is trying to punish you again.' Laughed Gwaine merrily, watching Merlin pack his own and Arthur's saddle bags for the hunt trip, 'Wouldn't want him to come up with any new punishments now would we, the stocks, mucking out the stables and enforced hunting is more than enough.' He stated, chuckling at his own wit.

'Have you been spending your time on watch at the tavern again Gwaine?'Asked Arthur coming 'round the corner to the stables.

'Of course not princess, can't have another immortal army sneaking up on us.'

'Good,' Arthur wasn't convinced but turned to Merlin anyway, 'You ready with those horses yet Merlin?'

'Ready and rearing to go sire.'Was the falsely enthusiastic reply.

'Good to hear.' Arthur completely ignored his servants sarcasm as always.

The hunting trip was surprisingly successful, despite Merlin's best efforts to scare away the prey.

'Why do you always insist on making such a racket Merlin?' asked the prince, annoyed even with the good amount of game they'd gathered.

Merlin just sighed, 'I suppose I'm just naturally clumsy after all Arthur, ' He put on a look of great remorse for a moment, but then started beaming, 'At least that means you were finally right about something sire.' He exclaimed happily.

'Merlin!' Shouted Arthur, startling the horses at the edge of their camp.

'What's wrong your highness? I thought you'd be overjoyed at such a develo-' He was cut off suddenly as Arthur clamped a hand over his mouth,

'I heard something.' He whispered urgently. They waited a few moments in tense silence and sure enough a group od twelve bandits came charging out of the trees yelling war quickly drew his sword and Merlin prepared to use some covert magic.

Suddenly, a rough pair of hands grabbed Merlin from behind an held a knife to his throat.

Thirteen! There had been thirteen bandits. Curse the shadows those stupid trees provided at this time of day, stupid trees, stupid moonlight, stupid bandits, stupid Arthur for making him go on this stupid trip-

'Surrender or your servant gets it.'growled the thirteenth bandit, pressing the knife hard enough to draw a tin trickle of blood from Merlin's neck.

Arthur looked conflicted, trying desperately to think of a way out of this that didn't involve a dead Merlin.

'Last chance, surrender now.' The bandit pulled Merlin's head back by the hair to further expose his neck and illustrate his point.

'Alright, alright.' Arthur conceded, lowering hi sword. The rest of the bandits waited until Arthur's sword was on the ground before rushing forward and clapping both him and Merlin in chains.

 **A/n:**

 **Cliffy! Sorry but you should get the next bit soon so it's not terrible, PLEASE review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n:**

 **You get to see Cenred in this chapter, enjoy**

 **Disclaimer: I still don't own Merlin, if I did it would not have ended the way it did. :'( Or at all for that matter. :)**

They were shoved roughly into steel cages. Cages for crying out loud! These god damned bandits actually had cages!

'I hope these will be good enough for you your highness.' The thirteenth bandit (who appeared to be the leader) sneered, 'they were certainly good enough to hold even the most powerful sorcerers and if either of you try anything then the other will pay dearly foe it.' The warning was clearly intended for Arthur, but Merlin knew that it would extend to him if he did try anything to get them out of this and to make matters worse these loathsome cages appeared to be enchanted to block the magic of the inhabitants. That meant that he wouldn't be able to get himself and Arthur out with the ease with which he usually did. Damn it! This was going to be tricky.

'Where are you taking us?' Arthur asked the lead bandit, anger al too clearly playing behind the calm exterior the king was so carefully maintaining just waiting to be released, fighting to be shown.

'You'll be taken to our King Cenred, he'll pay handsomely or a catch like you two.'The bandits were all smiling now in anticipation of the pay day in their near future.

The ride to king Cenred's castle was a rough one, the track, nothing more than a dirt path, jostled and bounced the cages which Arthur and Merlin were being held captive in. But Arthur and Merlin tried to get some sleep anyway, Go Go knows they would need their strength in the days to come...

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Merlin woke up gaping or air, col water had been thrown on him. As soon as he got his g=bearings he looked over to check Arthur. The captive King had gotten the same treatment just moments after Merlin and was still spluttering.

'So these are the prisoners you've told me so much about.' Merlin span around when he heard that cold, dead voice. When he did he met those cruel eyes of flint. King Cenred. The cruel King had hair as black as the ash left behind after homes were burnt, he had those cruel eyes of sharp flint, a wicked curve to his lips, which told you all too much about his sadistic nature and cheekbones sharp enough to kill. Handsome, but revolting. Revolting, but deadly.'Yes sire.' Replied the bandit, although it was rather obvious and not really necessary.

'The King of Camelot, King Arthur himself and his legendary manservant.' _If only Cenred knew. Merlin smiled quietly, they always underestimated him._

 _The King surveyed them silently for a few moments, 'I'll give you 100 gold pieces for them both.' He stated simply._

 _' Thank you sire.' The bandit positively grovelled at Cenred's feet as he sent one of his men to collect their money and handed the keys to the cages over to the cruel King._

 _As the bandits were leaving Cenred ordered the new prisoners to be taken to the dungeons, and so they were, with him leading the way._

 _Cenred's dungeons consisted of small, dark rooms with no windows and iron bar doors. Straw littered the floor, stained red and dirty green, Merlin tried hard not to think about how those stains came to be and the likely-hood of him adding to them._

 _'Here you are boys,' Cenred mocked, a cruel smile adorning his lips, 'Home sweet home.'_

 **A/n:**

 **I hope this chapter was to your licking, I wasn't sure how to describe Cenred but I think I did alright. Tell me how you think I did and I'll try to do better next time.**

 **The next chapter's going to be short but the one after will have the promised torture in it. Tell me if you have a prefered method of torture you want to see and I'll try to put it in...I feel sorry for Merlin already.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n:**

 **I'm writing this in honour of my very geeky friend who scares me slightly with her love of torture and pain when it comes to book/movie/TV show characters, this is for you...poor, poor Merlin.**

 **As you've probably guessed, in this chapter we are going to see some torture because with Arthur and Merlin's luck they simply cannot get captured without getting mortally wounded in the process. (: *evil laugh***

 **Disclaimer: I would love to say that I own Merlin, but alas, if I did I would be kidding myself and I'd probably get sued. :(**

 **So, just to clarify, I do not, in fact, own Merlin or any of the other characters in this story.**

 **The guards let Merlin and Arthur out of their chains and put them into the ones on the ceiling. As soon as they were locked around his wrists Merlin felt himself weaken. They were blocking his magic!**

 **'I've bought you for two very good reasons,' gloated the evil king, 'money and information. I'm going to get the first by ransoming his pretty little majesty here and the other I'm going to extract from the boy. And he wont enjoy it, believe me.' He chuckled darkly at his own cruelty and wickedness.**

 **'If you want information ask me not him.' protested Arthur, valiantly attempting to protect his friend, 'I'm the king, he's just a servant boy!' He hated the words as soon as they left his lips, but they were necessary.**

 **'Oh no, I need you for the money, nuts he's expendable and everyone in the five kingdoms knows about your weird bond with him. He's privy to every detail of the court.'**

 **'No I'm not, that arrogant clot-pole doesn't tell me anything!' Merlin had to try.**

 **'I don't believe you, but nice try.'**

 **'Damn it!' thought Merlin. Oh well, he'd faced worse than this twisted King.**

 **Or at least that's what he'd thought...**

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 **Cenred's methods were brutally direct. He called on a bear of a man, with shoulders as broad and strong as a tree, asked his questions and when Merlin didn't answer; he let that bear of a man loose upon him. At first though, he did it himself.**

 **'The spiral was the symbol of true loyalty in the Old Religion, did you know that?' Yes, Merlin did. 'Of course you didn't,' Cenred carried on, unaware of his captive's extensive knowledge of the Old Religion. 'You live in Camelot after all. Well, seeing as you're so stupidly loyal to King Arthur here, I believe it's only fitting that you be permanently branded with such a mark.' And with that he took out his knife and carved a spiral onto Merlin's face. It started at the right corner of his right eye, looped down to his jaw line, then curved round repeatedly between there and his lips. The pattern chowed briefly before the blood welled out in a crimson sheet down his chin and neck.**

 **It took a moment for Merlin to register the pain, but when he did it took everything he had to keep from screaming.**

 **'You bastard!' shouted Arthur.**

 **'Oh, you think that was bad? Well, I suppose you don't know what I'm going to do next do you, and you don't even know what that knife is coated in. A poison- don't worry, it shouldn't kill him,' assured Cenred, seeing Arthur's angry intake of breath, 'It will just cause extreme pain and guarantee scaring.' He was wickedness and cruelty in human form, this King.**

 **As though Cenred's words had been some kind of signal, Merlin instantly felt as if his skin was being slowly corroded with acid and then rubbed at with sharp diamonds.**

 **He screamed.**

 **'Yes,' breathed Cenred, I was wondering when he'd scream, most do instantly.' Arthur wrestled against his chains, desperately trying to attack Cenred.**

 **'Don't worry Arthur, you'll be let out as soon as the ransom money gets here.'**

 **Then, being the sick bastard that he was, proceeded to let the bear go at Merlin, every one of his weapons and tools soaked in that same poison.**

 **He started by whipping Merlin, tearing his back to shreds, then he carved careful patterns into Merlin's torso. When he tore off Merlin's shirt he whistled and Arthur's eyes bulged in disbelief.**

 **'It seems this isn't the first time your servant here has been stupidly loyal your highness.' Arthur simply was covered in horrible scars ranging from horrid burns to terrible cuts.**

 **The cuts were deep enough to hurt like hell and cause severe bleeding, but not quite deep enough to kill.**

 **The bear kept going long into the night, adding brutal beating to the growing list of tortures until Merlin was hardly recognisable.**

 **'Impressive, they usually break hours ago,' he thought for a moment, 'I suppose we'll just have to show him how to break.'**

 **He grabbed Merlin's arm and jerked his hands in opposite directions. Merlin screamed as his arm was shattered in the bear's grip.**

 **Arthur thrashed so hard against his restraints that he tore the skin at his wrists.**

 **'Still nothing...' He mused, then called in a guard, 'go get an iron and wood for a fire.' The guard ran off, sadistically happy to oblige the bear.**

 **Arthur shouted such curses at the bear that milk would have turned sour.**

 **'Alright then,' said the bear when the irons came and the guard started a small, but hot, fire, 'this'll be the last stage of our little interrogation and to be completely honest with you, if this doesn't break or kill him then I don't know what will.' So he started to viscously burn Merlin's shoulder.**

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 **The pain.**

 **It burned.**

 **It felt as if his entire being was being consumed by a soul-burning flame.**

 **It filled his brain.**

 **The pain.**

 **The despair.**

 **He could make it stop with a few measly words.**

 **NO!**

 **He would never betray Arthur, never!**

 **He'd simply have to deal with it.**

 **Again...**

 **He could distantly hear someone yelling curses, but he didn't care enough any more and was about to let the blackness take him when a burning that was even stronger, even worse than the others, made his shoulder eel as if it had been torn apart and burned over and over and over...**

 **A/n:**

 **Well, that was...disturbing. I hope that fulfils all your sick WHUMPing needs. Knowing me I'll probably end up writing more WHUMP stories but for now, this one will be all. Their rescuers should be making an appearance soon so hopefully Merlin's pain will be stopped, but you never know with these knights of Camelot, anything could go wrong.. or it coul all go perfectly...you never know... *yet another evil laugh* (this is fun(: )**

 **I hope you liked this, I find it hard to write this sort of thing but I gave it my best shot so tell me if you liked it.**

 **Thanks for reading. (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/n:**

 **I am sooooooo sorry. I'm back at school and my teachers have decided that I didn't have enough homework. ): But I should be updating once a week now so all shall be good. (: Sorry again.**

 **Over the next couple of chapters Merlin and Arthur should be rescued! Yay! (: The knights of the round table are on the way. (:**

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In the forest surrounding the castle the innermost knights of the round table were searching for their King (and his servant of course).They'd gotten the ransom note just two days before and it still gave Gwaine shivers just thinking about it.

 _I have your King,_

 _bring 1,000 gold pieces and you may see him alive again._

 _Bring it in four days or find yourselves a new King._

 _In the meantime this servant is proving quite entertaining._

 _Cenred._

It had been scary enough, but what had made it even worse was that they'd sent it along with Merlin's favourite blue neckerchief, which was now stained red with the blood of it's owner.

Gwaine's vision temporarily clouded thinking about it. Seeing Gwaine clench his fists and go tense, guessing the cause, Percival was quick to try to reassure him.

"We'll find them, don't worry."

"Don't worry! Merlin's scarf had blood on it! Blood!"

"I know, and we'regoing to find them and beat whoever hurt them to a pulp." Gwaine smiled at that.

"Then I guess we'd better hurry."

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After another half days ride they came to the hill right before Cenred's castle.

"They're waiting for us." Observed Leon upon seeing the veritable army of soldiers in front of the castle.

"We'll just have to sneak in, it isn't as if we haven't done that before." Stated Gwaine.

"Come on." Beckoned Elyan, "We'd better go 'round the back. We have to get them, they're our friends. Not to mention Gwen would kill me if we didn't." The knights all chuckled.

"Ok, come on guys."

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Cenred really needed to train his guards better.

It had been easy for the knights to sneak right past them without the guards being any the wiser.

They crept in the door between guard shifts and were faced with a staircase. Gwaine stopped, "Do we go up or down?" He wondered aloud.

"Well Gwaine," Started Elyan, "If you were a psychopath King who had captured two two very important people, where would you keep them?" His voice practically dripped with patronisation.

"In the dungeons obvious-" He paused, "Ohhhhhhhhhh."

They went downstairs.

They got down to a floor where everything smelt worse and the doors had been replaced with iron bars.

"I think we're in the right place." Observed Lancelot.

They passed lots of doors until they heard screaming behind the door two doors down.

"Is that?" Started Lancelot, ashen faced.

"Merlin!" They all gasped.

They ran.

 **A/n:**

 **Guess what? A cliffy! You have my apologies but I like the raise in tension, please don't be mad. I know it was a small chapter but I've run out of ideas recently. Sorry.**

 **All I have to do now is decide how badly they are going to beat up the torturer and how they are going to do it. Any ideas?**

 **Please review. (:**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/n:**

 **It's official, I'm terrible at updating. Sorry. But it's not likely to get better any time soon. Sorry. ):**

 **But in this chapter Merlin's going to be saved! Yay! (: I know that in Merlin and Arthur's point of view the torturer it referred to as 'the bear'. I am aware that the other knights don't but I'm going to make them refer to him as the bear when I'm using the other knights because it's easier and a pretty good description of him. (: And they should only get out the castle in this chapter, the chase and getting back to Camelot will be in the next couple. (:**

 **Gwaine gets mad.**

 **Disclaimer: IDOM**

Third person P.O.V

Gwaine and the rest of the knights burst through the cell door and were confronted with a sight that would haunt them even in Avalon.

Merlin had his hands shackled to the ceiling and was hanging from them, his feet were half a metre off the ground. A man built like a bear was slowly cutting him and it was painfully obvious that this wasn't the first he had.

Clothes and flesh alike had been cruelly shredded, Merlin's body was covered in grotesque burns and the stark white of bone was clearlt visible piercing through multiple limbs.

It was a wonder he was still breathing.

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Gwaine's P.O.V

My heart was racing, that was Merlin screaming. I'm going to kill whatever bastard hurt him!  
I burst through the cell door and what I saw made by blood boil and my vision clouded red.

I turned to the bear that was hurting Merlin and struck at him with my sword. He dodged just in time to avoid being killed, but not quite quick enough to prevent me from placing a deep cut in his upper arm. When he turned to look at me I growled at him.

This was the man who hurt Merlin.

That one thought was swirling 'round and 'round in my head as my vision went completely red and my blood roared in my ears, next thing I knew the Bear was on the floor looking almost as bad as Merlin. Almost.

My only thought was that I wished I remembered every cut, slice, bruise and broken bone I gave him.

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Arthur's P.O.V

I couldn't take it anymore! Merlin's screams had become the permanent music of my horrible life. I could tell the difference between the one he gave automatically as a reflex and the one he used when a new height of agony was reached.

I'd given up crying hours ago; it did no good; made no difference except to disturb Merlin even more. I could no longer recognise my closest friend, his only identifiable feature being his unruly black hair and even that had been tinged with blood. His bright, hope-filled eyes, normally so full of life and mischief, were now dull and empty. With only one remaining, the other having been carved out, the sight was even more desolate.

I longed to tear my gaze away from his wrecked form, but I couldn't. My eyes had been glued to the atrocious act of torture with morbid, horrifying curiosity.

There was suddenly a loud clang and my head snapped around and I saw what my wildest dreams had been made of for the past few days. I hadn't dared let myself hope for what I saw now.

The knights had come.

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Percival P.O.V

I entered the cell after my fellow knights and immediately ran to Merlin, or at least the body which I assumed to be him. He was horrendously wounded. I hastily undid his chains and lowered him gently to the straw-covered floor of the squalid cell. I was shocked that someone would do this to Merlin. Merlin of all people. The fun-loving, cheerful little brother that every knight and civilian in Camelot loved.

He groaned in pain as I moved him so I snapped at Lancelot, Leon and Elyan to help me carry him and take the Bear prisoner before Gwaine killed him.

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Third person P.O.V

The knights efficiently bound the unconscious torturer, Elyan and Leon carefully carried Merlin between them, Lancelot undid Arthur's chains with keys we'd found on the Bear's belt and led him out. Arthur hadn't been tortured but it was clear he was malnourished after the enforced captivity.

They ran along the labyrinth of corridors and stairs for what seemed like hours until they burst into a corridor with a door at the end which led to the outside, to freedom. Freedom was so close! But their luck was never that good. A group of ten soldiers ran in brandishing their weapons threatening, but before they could say a word, the knights were already attacking. Normally it wouldn't have been a fair fight, five knights of Camelot against these ruffians, but with the captive, Merlin and Arthur all having to be watched the remaining knights were hard-pressed to defeat Cenred's 'soldiers'. However, even with their forces depleted so these were the innermost knights of the round table, they beat Cenred's men and ran out the door as fast as they could carrying Merlin and the prisoner. They had to get Merlin and Arthur back to Camelot.

As they ran from the castle they heard alarm ells ringing, they were being chased.

 **A/n:**

 **So they got out. Yay! They just have to out run Cenred's men now and get Merlin back to Camelot before he dies from blood-loss, infection or anything else. Easy right?**

 **Anyway a new chapter should be up in the next week or so (sooner if you're lucky) and in the meantime, if you want a really good Merlin fic check out 101weirdways who just set up an account.**

 **-Samanth2611**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n:**

 **OK, they are escaping, it is going surprisingly well. Weird. Anyway, lets hope it stays that way.**

 **Enjoy.**

Elyan P.O.V

We'd been running for three days, going as fast as we could while still looking after Merlin. Cenred's men had been relentlessly chasing us at a break-kneck pase. We would have easily out stripped the untrained thugs , but we had to be incredibly careful when handling Merlin, his wounds were atrocious and no getting any better as we went, it hurt me just to look at the state my close friend was currently in. We had set up camp, laying Merlin on a pile of cloaks and blankets, and I was on watch while the others slept. The truth was I just couldn't sleep after what Arthur told us. Merlin had been brutally tortured beyond the endurance of even the best of knights and yet not broken. He hadn't revealed anything when the bear was whipping him, not when he was stabbed, not when he was punched, not when they were breaking his bones, not even when they were carving out his eye! I would have broken long before and yet he kept silent. He didn't reveal anything even when his life was being slowly ripped from him. I can't even imagine the pain he was in and now it was my duty to get him back to Camelot before he got much worse. He was my friend. My little brother. His screams still rang in the back of my mind, fuelling my determination.

Then I saw a flash of light, like moonlight reflecting off armour. Cenred's men were there!

I hurriedly woke everyone and we quietly closed camp, Percival carrying Merlin, and tried to sneak away.

Of course it didn't work. It never works! We got 100 metres away before Cenred's men saw us.

"There they are boys! Get 'em!" And just like that we were being chased again. We couldn't run for fear of hurting Merlin, who was practically comatose, and we had the prisoner. Then for once, we actually got lucky!

We were about to turn and fight when we saw burly men in black uniforms burst out of the forest and attacked Cenred's men!

Bandits!

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Bandit P.O.V

We charged out at the men, they looked like they had a rich master and we were desperate, it was either them or those rag-tag traveller they were chasing, they looked like nothing more than beggars. So we charged yelling our war cries and decimated them in next to no time, turns out they were just thugs for hire, but before we could attack the travellers to see if they actually had anything worth taking they were gone. Fast for a group of beggars.

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Third Person P.O.V

The knights were stunned by the bandits for a moment, but quickly recovered and used the distraction to run. They ran for an entire day and night before they got to Camelot and burst to the courtyard gates like mad men. Running as fast as they could to get Merlin to Gaius.

 **A/n:**

 **That was short...**

 **But they got back to Camelot! Yay! But did they make it in time? O:**

 **Find out in the next chapter #cheesiness**

 **Hope you liked it, please review and tell me how I did.**

 **-Samantha2611**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n:**

 **Hi, I'm hoping to finish this story soon because I can only handle two stories at a time (my other on is called 'The betrayal of a hero and the coming of Omega' it's a Percy Jackson fanfiction) and I have so many ideas for new stories which are forcing me to write them.**

 **I hope you like this chapter, will Merlin survive though? To be completely honest I'm not entirely sure (my friend (101weirways) will kill me if he dies). Hope you like it, sorry about all these brackets. (:**

Gwen P.O.V

I was getting water for Gaius (I don't care if I'm the Queen now I should still help out, even more so in fact) when I heard the thundering of horses on cobblestones, so I ran to the courtyard to see what was happening. When I them I dropped the water bucket. It was the knights and they were back with Arthur! But my happiness at seeing him was short-lived when I saw Merlin. He was almost unrecognisable, he'd been cruelly hurt, it was obvious that he couldn't fight back when his wounds were inflicted, I screamed and ran towards them.

Elyan saw me first, "Gwen! Go to Gaius and prepare him, we'll be down as fast as we can." Iran as fast as I could to Gaius' chambers, practically flying down the stairs.

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Lancelot P.O.V

We got to the courtyard and jumped off our horses, Elyan sent Gwen to prepare Gaius and we carefully lifted our injured friend off the horse we had tied him to and me and Leon carried him.

We went as fast as we could without hurting him, his breathing was ragged and his brow was on fire **(A/n: Gwen says that in the first series when Merlin is injured (: )** I was terrified for my friend. He did so much for this kingdom only to be tortured, not to mention that if he died the whole place would probably fall within the week. As we half ran to Gaius' chambers his blood soaked through my shirt and I've never felt so sick. I had been covered in blood before, but Merlin's blood! It was just wrong! I would die for Merlin **(A/n: SPOILER ALERT #RiverSong: he actually does)** and here I was carrying him, powerless to help him, as hi life-blood soaked through my shirt, I almost cried at the thought. He would survive, I was determined.

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Gaius P.O.V

When Gwen came in panting like she'd run a marathon I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't have imagined what came next.

"Gaius! It's Merlin! He's hurt! It's really bad Gaius, I could hardly recognise him!" Her words scared me and for a moment I was taken over by my emotions, worry for my son in all but blood consumed me. He couldn't be hurt that badly, Gwen was probably just shocked, but then logic and years of training and experience reasserted themselves. Gwen may be freaked, but she never embellished or exaggerated when it came to injuries, she was almost always level-headed with all but the most serious cases. I pushed down my emotions and renewed my calm physician's façade. All this ment that Merlin was hurt badly, very badly and I had to prepare myself to take care of him and not be unbalanced by the severity of his injuries or my emotional attachments to him, they could impair my judgements and until Merlin was better I had to be at my best.

I cleared off the table which we used as a patients bed and got all my equipment. Laying it out ready for use, just as I put down the last instrument the door was thrown open and the knights barged in. Percival and Gwaine came in first making sure everything was ready and making space for the others. What I saw next made my breath catch in my throat, Lancelot and Leon came in. They were carrying Merlin. Merlin the lively young boy with the weight of the world on his back, who never said no to anyone in need and always had a care free attitude towards life when he was dealing with anything other than his duties as Emrys. The happy boy whom I had come to love was now being laid on my work table with horrific wounds covering the entirety of his body.

My trained eye ran over him, assessing his visible injuries, they made me want to shudder and throw up. His back had been torn to shreds by a whip, it looked as if they had flogged him repeatedly on the open wounds caused by the first whip strikes, his arms and shoulder were obviously shattered, he was horribly burnt in various places, part of some of his fingers had been hacked off and his face...

A swirl had been carved into the side of his face, from his eye to his chin, there were other cuts littering his face, but what drew my attention the most was his eye. Eye. Singular. One had been carved out, viciously by the look of it, there were slash marks on the inside of his empty eye socket where the knife used had gone straight through his eye. The pain he must have been in... And these were inly the visible wounds, who know how many more he had.

Oh Merlin, my boy...

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arthur P.O.V

I felt like I had been bitten by the questing beast again, with all the weakness, but without the burning pain, instead it was just an unbearable ache. But I didn't care at that moment, Merlin was hurt. He'd been tortured and I'd just stood and watched, nothing I could do. Powerless.

He had been slowly hurt and maimed for information he refused to give, he wouldn't even give up the smallest of details. I was on the point of passing out from hunger and sleep deprivation while he was being tortured and , if asked, I was ashamed to say that I would've told him everything. But he dealt with that and the constant torture without letting anything slip. It actually scared me.

But now he was paying the price, slowly dying in great pain on Gaius' table. But Gaius was working on him. He would survive. He had to. He just had to. I needed him and I didn't want him to die.

I prayed to every God I could thing of, I even prayed to the Old Religion, for Merlin to be saved.

Please just don't let him die.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Third Person P.O.V

Gaius started on Merlin's back, he seemed to bleeding the most from there. n addition to the countless whip wounds, it looked as if he had been stabbed. The wound was shallow for a stab wound. Thank the Gods, but it still needed to be taken care of. So Gaius slowly cleaned and sewed up his back, getting the knights to hld him down and trying desperately to ignore the groans and screams of pain coming from his ward. He worked all through the night and into the next morning on Merlin's back, trying desperately to put it back in one piece.

After an eternity, they managed to stop most of the bleeding from his back and transform it from layers of shredded flesh that leaked gallons of blood, to a horrendously scared slab of flesh that only wept blood slightly from a few of the wounds. Merlin had passed out just minutes before, finally succumbing to the unbearable agony. It was a great relief to all those present, and all those who could hear it, when his screams finally subsided, but they all knew that they would start again once the young man woke up.

After finishing his back, Gaius, Gwen and the various servants they had enlisted to help them started to work on Merlin's face. They sewed up the carving of the swirl and cleaned his eye socket, Gwen cried but kept working through out the sleepless days that they worked on Merlin. Her resilience was astounding but she didn't care, they just had to make Merlin better, he had to survive.

So the Physician's team kept working.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Miranda (a maid who was friends with Merlin and had been enlisted to help with his care by fetching things from around the palace and city **(A/n: Bet you didn't see this one coming huh)** ) P.O.V

The past few days had been horrible, I was glad that I was only fetching things, for I only heard the screams, which were harrowing enough, I didn't have to see him. I didn't have to see the extent of his injuries. I had caught a glimpse early yesterday and that was enough to haunt me for a life time. Merlin was such a good person and now he was put through this. It just wasn't fair!

I had been told to take a break from helping Gaius and had gone to the kitchens to tell everyone how Merlin was doing. Everyone in the palace, and in the city, loved Merlin. Everyone who had met him he had befriended, and they all cared for him. Especially Mary, the head cook **(A/n: Was that her name, I couldn't remember so please tell me if I'm wrong)** who had always liked Merlin and was constantly trying to get him to eat more.

I walked in and everyone looked at me with expectant faces. I took a deep breath,"They sewed up his back, cleaned out his eye socket and cleaned and sewed some of his other wounds, they've tried to reset dislocated bones and have bound his broken ones and they've put bandages around the stumps where part of some of his fingers had been...well...hacked...off." I heard gasps and sobs when people heard the extent of his suffering and I started crying myself, I'd been trying to block it out the last few days but saying it all out loud had made it really hit me. I continued though, " But they're having trouble with his chest, the-the torturer-carved in deeply and some of his broken ribs punctured organs and one-one grazed his heart." I sobbed even louder, "They're doing all they can but-but h-he m-may not s-survive." And then it happened, I final broke down.

I felt warm arms around me and knew some of the other maids were trying to comfort me while crying tears themselves, when I looked up I saw the kitch even busier than usual, preparing food to go to the Physician's team and to Merlin for if-when he woke up. Everyone loved Merlin.

 **A/n:**

 **When I started writing this I did not expect it to go this way... Sorry.**

 **I hope I let him survive, I quite like Merlin...**

 **Sorry about this, find out if he survives in the next chapter. I know I said that last time but you actually will this time.**

 **I hope you think I did that well, it was surprisingly challenging.**

 **-Samantha2611**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n:**

 **Don't kill me!**

 **I like to build tension. *hides behind chair***

 **I'm just going to tell you what happens next...**

Arthur P.O.V

I was pacing in my chambers. I couldn't stop moving! Merlin was dying and I couldn't do anything! He'd been tortured to death right in front of me and I couldn't do anything! He was in pain on Gaius' table and I couldn't do anything! Hell! I'd been kicked out of the physician's chambers! I was the King! Could they even do that? It was Gaius, he could do anything. I wasn't going to question Gaius, he was like a second father to me. But that's beside the point.

I was pacing in front of my fire, the fire that Merlin cleaned twice a day...

Then something caught my eye, I looked out my window and I saw the entire city's population was in the caught yard and they were waving candles. They were like stars in the night. Waving them back and forth in the air. They were all there for Merlin. My Merlin, whom I called a nobody on a daily basis, but I really couldn't survive without, and the entire city was here for him. They were all there for Merlin.

I nodded and held up my own candle to the window.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Merlin P.O.V

It hurt.

There was no other way to describe it.

Everything hurt.

My body felt like it was burning and every time I breathed it felt as if I was being stabbed all over again.

I had to wake up.

Arthur needed me. He always needed me.

I had things to do, I couldn't just die now.

It was sad.

But people were counting on me and I'd be damned if I let them down now.

Ok, breath in, breath out. Ignore the pain you've been through worse.

Almost.

Ok. The breathing is working, now work on your eyes. Open them.

I tried, I really did.

Why was this so hard?

Ok, 1...2...3...

Open.

AAaarrrhhhhh!

Gods, that was bright!

Noise.

Voices.

They could see me trying to wake up.

Can't disappoint them now can I.

Ok, try again.

1...2...3...

I opened my eyes, it took all my energy.

That simple action took all the great Emrys' energy.

The irony.

I could see only blurs at first.

They were moving then they all crowded round me.

Leaned over me.

"Merlin."

They called that over and over.

"Merlin."

My name.

They sounded worried.

Who wouldn't.

I must look like hell itself.

The blurs moved again and then came into focus.

I could see them!

Hold on...

I could only see to the left.

Why couldn't I see to the right?!

I panicked for a moment and heard them call my name again. They'd gone back out of focus.

"Merlin!"

Oh yeah...The Bear cut out my eye...I shivered, then gasped.

The movement had sent waves of pain through out my body.

"Merlin! Come back!"

Ok, it's just an eye, get over it. It's not important right now.

Open your eyes-eye.

And I could see again.

One of the blurs came into focus, I could see his worried face.

Gaius.

He sounded so relieved.

"Oh Merlin my boy, you're awake."

 **A/n:**

 **I told you he wouldn't die. Well not really, but I never planned to kill him in this fic.**

 **I feel kind of bad.**

 **Well this fic is almost done, only a few more chapters now.**

 **Hop you've liked it so fare. (:**

 **-Samantha2611**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n:**

 **Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I'm working on other stories, I have an account with the same name on Wattpad so if you are wondering what I've been working on look there.**

 **Merlin is alive! Yay!**

 **But how will he adjust to his life now? The suspense.**

 **Enjoy. (:**

Third Person P.O.V

Merlin had woken up.

The whole city was celebrating. Merlin had been a friend to everyone and everyone was happy for him.

But he didn't come out unscathed.

He had horrendous scars all over his body, broken bones that weren't yet healed and he was missing an eye.

An eye!

But he would survive.

That was all that mattered now.

He would survive, he would adjust and he would keep going.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Merlin P.O.V

I had visitors every day.

The kitchens sent me enough food to feed the entire army.

Gaius was always hovering. I had to stay in bed until my bones healed, so a few weeks at least.

Servants came in to say hi and the knights came in every day to check on me.

The only person who hadn't come was Arthur.

King Arthur of Camelot.

I hoped he didn't hate me.

He was alive though, alive and as safe as he'd ever be. I may have been in excruciating pain, but it was worth it for that, it was worth it for Arthur.

Gaius said I would be able to go back to work in a couple of months.

I was looking forward to it, I may be scarred and maimed now, but I would never stop protecting Arthur. Never.

We changed my bandages twice a day.

I still cringed slightly at the sight of my scars.

I may never get used to them.

The pain was still there, but it would fade eventually. People were worried, but that would fade eventually too and everyone would get used to it.

Life would go on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-three months later-XXXXXXXXXXXX

Arthur P.O.V

It had been just over three months since we escaped Cenred, just over three months since Merlin nearly died in great pain for me.

Today was a normal day, council meetings all morning then training with my knights in the afternoon. In a few minutes a servant would come in with my breakfast, it would probably be George. Everyone knew I hated him so they took great pleasure in sending him to me every excuse they got. I was facing away from the door when I heard it creak open. "Not now George, I'm getting changed, just put it on the table." I wasn't in the mood for brass jokes right now.

"Sorry sir, George couldn't come so no brass jokes for you today." I knew that voice! "I'm glad to see you've learnt to dress your self in my absence." That cheeky voice, the only person who could get away with saying things like that to me. I span around.

"Merlin!" The servant grinned his stupid grin.

"The one and only sire." I was so happy, then I really looked at him, on his face was that horrible, livid red swirl and his right eye-socket was covered with a black eye patch. But his grin was still there and sparkle in his eyes-eye- was still there, just. He was still Merlin.

"Come on sire, you're going to be late. We wouldn't want those stuffy old Lords to have to start the meeting with no guidance now would we, they'd probably die of shock without someone to wine to." How I hated that smirk. Stupid Lords.

"If I have to sit through it, you will be standing right behind me the entire time." I told him. He groaned.

"But sire, Gaius says I can't be on my feet too long, the stupid bone in ankle wont set properly. It's as stubborn as you are." HE tried to grin over it, but I could see he was still in serious pain. I was crushed by guilt.

"Why Merlin?"

"Why what sire?" He looked confused.

"Why did you do that for me, I mean look at you! You don't deserve this, why would you do it for me?" He paused for a moment.

"Duty sire. I would do anything for you." He was so sincere it scared me.

"But what did I do to deserve it, I've never done anything to deserve such loyalty?"  
"You are Arthur." He said simply.

 **A/n:**

 **There you go. It feels weird to finally finish this, it was the first fanfiction I ever started. I hope you liked it. Review please and tell me what I did right and wrong. (:**

 **-Samantha2611**


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